Nell's diary

Rise of the Runelords

This is the diary as written by Nell. She is writing it as an exercise in learning to read and write.

To End

First entry

Hello diary.

I am to write here to learn how to write. Velicia will help me write, when needed.

The big feast

Today a lot happened.

I was at the big feast that the whole town have been preparing for for a long time. I went there with Velicia. There were lots of food. There were three tables filled with the best from each of the inns. I liked the Rusty Dragon best, even though it was quite spicy. Loads of butterflies were released, flying around everywhere. I was eating when mayor Kendra Deverin stood up and talked about something. Then the sheriff Belor Hemlock said boring stuff and Cyrdak Drokkus talked about his new play. I think I will make sure I get invited to see that. Then Father Abstalar Zantus was just about to speak even more, when <Name> wanted to go look at the bonfire. Or the pile that would become the big fire. I grabbed some more salmon and followed her. The salmon was really good. I wonder how its done. I've never been a good cook. <Name> said something was stirring somewhere towards the gate and we was just going that way when lots and lots of goblins poured in towards the central square where the feast was held.

There were one riding a dog and others singing a silly song. Velicia rushed ahead and threw some of her magic, powerful great magic, at them and several fell to the ground. I loaded my sling with several stones and hit many with my barrage of stones, blinding one temporary. I ran up to a goblin and made a move I've often used when in trouble. I showed plenty of thigh and stabbed with the dagger. Even if it worked I was a little put off as the goblin rather looked hungry when looking at my thigh. There followed a big melee where I felled goblin after goblin saving many of the villagers. Some of the people living here also fought with us. There were Nathaniel Deverin who I have met before. He is a nobleman from one of the four noble families here, but after today I think he's nice anyway. Also there were a strange looking rhenne called Dorothea Caiphon who used magic and a female satyr called Honeypot who helped us fighting the goblins while playing the flute. We killed most of the goblins and a few fled.

The boneyard

We were very proud when the sheriff told us that he had seen how good we were and asked us to check the gate. When we got there there were some commotion in the boneyard. I snuck in but they noticed me, so I threw a bullet at the bigger goblin with my sling. Velicia waved her fan at a group of goblins and almost all flew away. I hit him again with my sling and then stabbed him with my dagger. The others ran up to a group of goblins trying to protect others of them around a ladder raised to the wall. Several goblins suddenly surrounded me. They hit me from all over and I just barely got out before I got really hurt. Honeypot played some really refreshing tune and I attacked again. Soon most of the goblins were dead.

The goblins were dragging a sack from the cemetery and Velicia used her magic to suddenly appear on top of the wall where the goblins were trying to climb ladders to get away with the sack. She stopped them, blowing and burning them with her mighty magic. Then Nathaniel really showed what he could do. He ran up to the ladder and killed the big awful goblin dog that were chewing on Honeypot and continued up the ladder and skewered the goblin leader with his rapier helping Velicia. Then he climbed down and retrieved the sack back up to the wall. He dumped it down the ladder right in front of me, and pulled up the ladder on the outside of the wall. I peeked in the sack and it contained the remains of some dead body.

From the wall the others said that there came lots and lots of more goblins demanding to get the sack. Honeypot faked another sack ad threw it to them. I went looking for if there were any open grave the body could come from and found one. It was marked cleric Ezakien Tobyn. Nathaniel went to talk to the guards by the gate and I ran back to the square and told the sheriff. He was busy but said they were handling most of the goblins now that we had broken their attack. I went back and saw them throwing a live goblin over the wall. Strange. That fall would probably not even kill it.

The white deer

I told them how things were and we brought the ladders and the remains of the body to the guards at the gate and went back to town to help cleaning up the last goblins. When we were nearing The White Deer, there were a really big goblin riding the biggest, meanest goblin dog so far attacking a dog while a man was trying to fend for himself a few yards further away. I put a bullet straight in the chest of the goblin. Nathaniel charged a goblin and split it in two in a mighty blow. Velicia ran up to the riding goblin leader and used her incredible magic. Nathaniel joining in too. Dorothea and Honeypot used their magic on other smaller but still very tough goblins. Those threw javelins at us hitting with several. Nathaniel was pierced by one and fell to the ground bleeding. Honeypot ran up to him reviving him and killing the leader goblin. I moved up to the awful, monstrous dog sure to kill the poor man trying desperately to defend himself, and hit it well with my dagger forcing it into Velicias impressive magic dancing dagger swarm, slicing it to shreds, thus saving surely saving the mans life. It turned out to be a Aldern Foxglove who is a passing nobleman I've seen partying at an inn earlier. You can never trust noblemen, except Nathaniel who seems to be nice, but Foxglove invited us to a hunting trip to thank us for saving him. I might actually go.

Now I will go to bed. It's already late. Good night.

??

I hurt a little all over this morning when I woke up after the big fight. We took it easy and hung around talking all morning. Aldern Foxglove who's Life I saved yesterday by killing that monstrous giant dog, invited all us girls to go hunting. Then there were some commotion, and when we checked what it was it was some half elf scout that came back from running around in the woods keeping an eye on the goblins. She went to the sheriff and we followed her in. The Sheriff greeted us and said that it was good we already were there so he didn't have to send for us. He sent for the Mayor though. The half elf told us a lot about all the tribes around here.

There are five of them.

• The first is led by someone called Bruthasmus. I think he was a bugbear.
• Second is led by Big Gutmut. I didn't really pay attention to all she said.
• Then there's Rip Nugget who had a lair called Thistle top.
• Korvus led a tribe called seven teeth or something.
• The last one licked toads in a swamp where a cannibal goblin called Vorka

tried to eat them. I'm guessing the last ones are loosers.

The one we killed yesterday was called Gortmurt. Not that that makes much difference.

I juggled a bit with some apples that where in a bowl in that room. The sheriff told us he was going to Magnimar tomorrow to ask for more guards until the goblin problem is solved. He asked us, as the big heroes we are, to help keep an eye open for trouble. We told him we would and that we would especially keep an eye on a suspect we have that might be the human helping the goblins from within the village. The meeting was over and I put back an apple and kept the others as lunch.

We thought that we should start looking for traitors right away so we went to the Rusty Dragon to see if any one had heard anything. They greeted us as the big heroes we are, that saved the entire village from being overrun by all the goblins. I told them how we realized that there were goblins in the boneyard that no one else noticed and how we saved most of the remains of <the father>. As Nathaniel wasn't there I took his and my place in the story and told it climbing the chairs as ladders up to the table posing as the wall where I and Velicia fought imaginary goblins.

It was easy to get food and drinks after that show. Dorothea really likes beer. When we listened to the others stories it was mostly of how stupid the goblins were, like when some goblins crept into the bålet while others set it on fire. Someone heard about how several mills had burned down and suspected the Scarnettis to be involved. It was a late night.

???

I woke early, but not early enough to be up when Alden came. He though hunts should start very early. Some of us had had more to drink than me and were less than happy about the time. As we were a little late he had a second breakfast with us talking about the hunt. When we got out he had several horses standing there and presented us with them as a gift. A GIFT! Horses are really expensive and he just gave them to us. He must be loaded. I acted unimpressed as usual when I get men to give me gifts.

We left for the trip to where we were to hunt. It was called tickwood. I hate ticks. They are disgusting little bugs. On the way out of town we met up with Nathaniel and to Alderns dismay Velicia immediately invited him to the trip too. Honeypot held Aldern company. That was fortunate as Nathaniel and Aldern didn't seem to get along that well. During the hunt Honeypot and Aldern got separated, but we found them again quite soon. The hunt was a success and Aldern and Dorothy were the sharpest with the crossbows with Nathaniel close behind. Honeypot selebrated Alderns hunting success, while I kept a sharp lookout for ticks.

When we got back I took the two boars to the Rusty Dragon to get them done. Ameiko promised to make a great feast out of them and in return could keep the rest of them that we didn't eat.

Nathaniel got approached bu Shayliss who asked for his help to get rid of a rat problem. Apparently it was in the cellar and she led him down there. I and Dorothy know of her reputation as "loose", so we decided to see what would happen. Stealthily we followed and watched. When Nathaniel was half undressed and Shayliss mostly undressed her father appeared. They didn't notice until he shouted at them waving a club about. Nathaniel answered by saying "What I have done to your daughter, many has done before." I could not believe my ears. It was hard not laughing, but he continued "None the less I know what I have done and will take what punishment you think would be just, as I respect you as her father." Her father beat him, but his anger was apparently soothed by Nathaniels willingness to take the punishment. Dorothy and I made sure to leave before we were noticed.

We all met again at the Rusty Dragon later for dinner. Velicia asked Nathatniel what had happened to him and was very impressed at how he respected the father. I think she is a little smitten by him. Honeypot shows up a little late together with Aldern. Then the boar arrive and it's delicious. Velicia used one of her magic tricks and whispered in my ear that now that Aldern was here someone should check out his room. I have earlier hinted at being good at sneaking so I asked Dorothy to come. Before I left I filled my bag with bread, cookies, some vegetables and filled a small plate with boar to eat while walking across the whole village. When there we saw his servant eating in the first floor and went up to his room. I picked the lock and we looked around. He didn't have that much stuff, as if he's not really that rich. I mostly found a lot of papers. I asked Dorothy to read them but she said they were boring. She was absolutely right. The papers were had to read and very boring. I only got that it was about estate and there were the Foxglove Hose, the Foxglove manor and the Foxglove farm, or something like that. As we left I locked the door.

When we returned I was thrilled to get back to the dinner that I had been promised would be refilled all night, but it was mostly finished when we got back. I asked the servant girl for more but there were some problems in the kitchen. We went there to investigate and found lots of food. The others said something about some strange letter, but I mostly looked for the best cold dishes. I always get hungry after acrobatics, and I love cartwheeling, jumping fences and such things. But anyway we found out that Ameikos brother that we had heard about earlier, but never thought of asking Ameiko about wanted to meet with her at the glassworks at midnight. It was already after midnight so we hurried over there.

Glassworks...